Ore-classifier.



V www WQH. WEIGAND.

omi cLAsslrlEa. APPLICATIN FILE lUN I9. 1914.

1,192,806. Patented July 25, 1916.

WILLIAM -HENRY WEIGAND, `QF TROJ'AI, SO'iUilH DAKOTA.

"a, citizen oftherunaea 's1-.attenua a resiqeat of Trojan, in the countyxof Lawrencevand State of' South Dakota,' have invented a new ,and Improved Ore-Classifier, of which the -'following isa full, clear, Yand exact des'riptio 'hd'invention relates to ore classifiers'of the rotary type.v Y

Anobjectthereof is to provide a simple, 'inexpensive and efficient classifier whereby.v v the process of classification caribe-'controlled by varying the discharge 'opening and also L 1s anannulartable 12 on which is rotatably the' liquid level. A further object-'of the invention is 4to provide a classifier wherein -the crushed. ore is uniformly distributed along its path of travel, so as to'thingradually and increase its surface as itf approaches the'end ofits provide a classifierin which theparticles of the ore are continuously overturned' in such a manner as to allow the slime particles to become free and flow away.

. the nature of which will more fully appear section on A still further object of the invention is to provide a classifier whereby a large tonnage of ore can be handled. v

4With the 'above and vother objects in view,

as the' description proceeds, the invention consistsfln the Vnovel construction, combina- -f tionand arrangement of' parts as herein fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In'the accompanying drawings, forming .part of the applicatiomsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts inall the views, and Figure -1' is aplanview of an embodiment of my invention partly' sectionalized to 'show the details ofl construction; Fig. 2 is -a side elevation thereof; Fig- 3 1s a ilar section showingithe agitating means removed; and Fig. 5 .is an enlarged sectionall view of the central discharge nozzle.

Referring tothe drawings, `6 represents a tank which converges from theedges to'the central part thereof and i'spreferably shallow and-frusto-cone shaped.; 'The converging ltion and flatter than the-inner portion. The

inner portion 7 is associated with an wardly projecting tubular portion 9 which does not-.extend to the upperedge of the onnlenassirian.

'spetit'eatiotfftetters Q ate'nt. Patented July 25, 1916'.

. Applicata@meaianneiaief semina-16,080.

i "tank and constitutes-the central outlet from y thetsaid tank 6. IThe'tank is provided 'with f a supportlO, which is preferably at the outer--l edge of thel tank, and, as shown in the drawings, is cylindrical in shape. The lower edge of thegsupport is preferably level with the lowermost point of the tank', so that the whole can be properly supported by-a suitable horizontal support; The support 10 is provided peripherally with a circular trough 11 properly inclined to cause a natural fiow 'A therein.' This trough or launderforrns the outer passage from the tank 6.

Rigidly secured -o the tubular member 9 mounted a worm'gear meshing with a wor whereby the same and, therefore, the, worm w-h-eel, may be rotated. Rigidl-y secured to the worm wheel 13 are. downwardly extend- 14 which is associated with pulleys 15`,

portion7 vof the tank, andpreferably disposed parallel to said conical\portion 7 of 4the tank. Rigidly secured t'o said' lower end of each of thebrackets isan arm 17 extend-l ing from the tubular part 9 to theojuter edge of the tank and disposed parallel to the sur# face forming the tank and spaced therefrom. Positioned between the arm 17 vand the surface forming the tank is a series of' spirallyshaped blades 18j carried by said arm, and

4which blades are so'disposed relatively to the direction of rotation of said arms a's to cause the substance within the tank to flow from' l the lcentrallpart thereof towardl the outer periphery, as can be easily seen from Fig. 1-.

An annular trough 19 is mounted on the brackets 16 so that the upper edge of said trough -is substantially levell with the upper edgeof the tiank. Said trough forms the. inlet for the .crushed ore and the liquid, from where it is dischargedinto the tank 6 through openings 20 provided at the -bot` 'tom of said trough adjacent the outer pe. r1phery.` It Will be noted that this trough rotates with the agitating` mechanismand, therefore, a' more even distribution of the ore and llquid into the tank 6 is obtained.

Mounted within the tubular member 9 of s the tank is a central outlet nozzle. 21vvhi`ch has the lower end slightly reduced and threaded, and whereto a suitable connection 22 can be made. The upper end of the noz- 7 zle is preferably fiu'sh with the tubular mem- .capacity adapted to effectively and uni' 6, which flared portion canbe varied in di.- lameter by removing one or more of said annular members 23 and thereby lowering said funnel with reference to the upper edge of the tank. By removing one or more of said annular members 23 the central discharge level is varied, and also the diameter of the discharge, as can be easily seen. v

By means of the annulaisegments 23 a more perfect control of the product is obtained, as coarser or finer'slimes are obtained by varying the height of the flared part of the funnel within the tank 6. It will also be remarked that the suspended slime must be raised'through a great .volume of liquid, and it discharges on a. large circumference formed by the edge of thel upper annular member 23. The agitating mechanism, which is formed of the radial arms 17 suspended from the table 12, when rotated thereon, causes a ,g1-eaten overturning action of the settled particles, by means of the curved blades or vanes, allowing thereby the liner particles to free themselves; and, due to the agitation caused by the movement of the. .mechanism and the current of liquid-created therebyl in the tank, said particles are carried from the central discharge, z'. from the funnel formed by the annular member 23. The annular feed formed by the'trough 19, which rota-tes with the agitating apparatus, causes the liquid to be fed into the tank in thin streams at the bottom of the greater circumference of said trough, thus facili-tat- `ing the immediate separation into its classes, and to do so under conditions vmore favorable than Where feed' of crushed ore and liquid is appliedin one place. The trough 19 being' of great diameter, and, consequently, of great circumference, has a large formly distribute over a large circular area a large quantity of the reand Huid and lessen the tendency of a large quantity of feed to violently splash or unduly agitate and stir up particles that are' desired to be I settled.`l

The .puriiied sand is discharged to vthe trough 11 vtowhich sand or settled' ore is raked by action of the blades 18 carried by the .arms 17, and which blades cause said setu tled ore to'travel from. the central part of the ltank to the outer. In view of the peculiar shape of the blades or vanes 18, the path of travel of the discharged ore. is more like aninvolute curve than a straight line. This long path of travel ofthe ore, assisted by(A 1 the repeated overturning of the same by the blades, gives the settled sand further chance 'to become free from finer'particles which are movement of the'ore from the central part e@ y to the outer part of the tank, the layer becomes thinner and thinner as it approaches the outer' discharge, due, of course, to being spread over a larger area, this, necessarily, further perfecting the classification. 'lhe settled sand or heavier particles which are caused to ascend to the steeper sides` of the cone-shaped tank, while submerged all or part of the distance, as may be determined by the height of the central discharge formed by the funnel, on reaching the flatter section of the tank, i. e., the part 8, will lhave less tendency to move back, that is, to the central part ofthe tank. lf desired the settled sand may be allowed to be discharged in a dry condition, no wash being given, due to thev great path of travel.-

From the above description it will be noted that theprocess of classification of the ore consists in conveying the crushed ore and liquid into a concave vvessel wherein the discharged ore is agitated, the suspended particles being discharged at the central part, while the settled particles are caused to ascend toward the periphery of the tank in a sinuous path.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantage of the construction and method of operation of the apparatus shown at@ will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, and while l have described the .principle of operation, `together' with the device and method of making the same, which l now we consider to be the best embodiment thereof, l desire to haveQit understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the 'scope of the appended claims.

Having l.thus described my invention, ll claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent: l 1. In a classifier, a concave vessel having a'raised central outlet, a nozzle insaidy out- 115 let, a plurality of annular, upwardly-expanding fru'stocone-shaped members removably associated with' eachother land with saidnozzle and forming therewith a funnel,

the level and size of which/funnel in the ves- 12oV sel may belvaried by means ofv said removable frustocone-shaped members, and a stirring mechanism associated with the vessel and-adapted to direct the mass within the vessel from the central outlet toward the v mechanism'associated with' the vessel, means for rotating the table, bracketsfro said rotating means, arms associated wit said brackets and extending parallelly to the surface of the ,vesse`1,' blades ony said armsadapted to scrape the surface of the vessel and direct the mass therein toward the periphery of the veel, and an annular dis` tributer for -said vessel carried by said-v brackets.

3. In an ore clas'sier,'a concave vessel inl the shape of an inverted'cone, said vessel -having a central outlet, interengaging,lup

wardly-expanding. rustoconical sections associated with the outlet for varying its level and diameter within the vessel, a stirring on the stirring mechanism to scrape the sur- 'face of thevessel and direct the mass inthe vessel toward the raised periphery of the same, andan annular feed for said vessel carried by the stirring mechanism, s aidvessel having a'peripheral outlet.

'4. In a classifier, a concave vessel .in-the shape of an inverted cone having` a flat cone portion 'adj acent ,the periphery thereof, said vessel having a central outlet, a vpluralit of upwardly-expanding, frustoconical'inem ers Y with the vessel, blades carried by the stirring mechanism for scraping the surface of lthe vessel and direct the mass in the vessel over the central part thereof toward the raised periphery of the vessel, and an annular feed for said vessel carried by the stirring mechanism..`

5. In an oref classifier, a concave vessel having a centraland a Aperipheral outlet, frustoconical sections' increasing in size upwardly engaging the central outlet, whereby the sizejand level of the central outlet may be varied, a stirringmechanism in said vessel, and an annular distributer adjacent the central outlet: y

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

wrLLIAixi HENRY WEIGAND. Witnesses:

- FREDR. JonNsoN,

J. Minus. 

